Bayern ready to tempt Rooney to Allianz as admirer Guardiola prepares to take charge

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson made the controversial decision to leave Rooney on the bench for their Champions League defeat against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Despite reports that the Scot’s call would likely signify the end of Rooney’s time at Old Trafford, Ferguson moved to quash those claims in Friday’s press conference, and promised that the 27-year-old would be offered a new deal when the time came.

Tempted? Wayne Rooney could be the subject of a summer transfer bid from Bayern Munich

He said: 'There’s no issue with his contract, when it has to be renegotiated it will be done. We don’t want good players to leave.'

But with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola taking the reins of the German giants next season, United might yet be tempted to part ways with Rooney, according to the Sunday Times.

Guardiola is an admirer of Rooney, and once described the striker as ‘one of the greatest players in the world’, and might be willing to stump up the £20million-plus for the forward.

Bayern are also one of the few teams in Europe who could afford to pay Rooney’s staggering £230,000-a-week wage, should he decide to leave Manchester in the summer.

Keen: Pep Guardiola has been a long-standing admirer of the United striker

Reciprocal: Rooney played in both Champions League finals against Barcelona

Rooney may be warming to the idea of playing abroad, and has previously expressed his admiration for Guardiola and the Barcelona side that toppled United in two Champions League finals.

Although the United hitman has struggled to recapture his dazzling domestic form of seasons gone by, in Europe – in terms of goals and assists – he is having his joint-best season.

But although Rooney was disappointed to have started the Real clash on the bench, he is unlikely to try to force a transfer through.

And despite the emergence of summer-signing Robin van Persie as the leading man at United, Ferguson has vowed to try to keep Rooney.

The former Everton striker is also likely to start this afternoon’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea in United’s bid to reach Wembley for the first time this season.

Main man: Robin van Persie (left) has been in sensational form since joining Manchester United